Latest news with #WomenAndEqualitiesCommittee
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sharing deepfake pornography 'the next sexual violence epidemic facing schools'
Sharing deepfake pornography is "the next sexual violence epidemic" facing schools, the author of a book on the spread of online misogyny has told MPs. Appearing before the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC), Laura Bates said there needs to be statutory guidance for teachers on how to deal with this "very significant issue". She said in every UK case she has investigated, schools have "paid thousands of pounds hiring PR firms to focus on damage reputation management". However, in terms of supporting girls and taking action against the perpetrators, "nothing has happened". She said of deepfake pornography: "It is happening, it's significant. Female teachers are affected, which often goes unnoticed, and schools are just not equipped to tackle it. "My suggestion would be this is the next big sexual violence epidemic facing schools and people don't even know it is going on." Deepfakes are pictures, videos or audio clips made with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to look or sound real. While it is illegal to create or share a sexually explicit image of a child, including a deepfake, the technology for making them remains legal. Asked what more could be done to help schools tackle the issue, Ms Bates said in the cases she is aware of "police investigations are ongoing" . However, she said she is not suggesting criminalisation of underage boys is the solution and what is needed is education, prevention and regulation. "It shouldn't be the case that a 12-year-old boy can easily and freely access tools to create these forms of content in the first place," she said. Ms Bates is the founder of the Everyday Sexism project and author of: The New Age of Sexism: How the AI Revolution is Reinventing Misogyny. She also called for "very clear guidance" on how schools should respond to this challenge. She warned of a repeat of failings that have happened previously with intimate image abuse, where girls have been "coerced into sending images of themselves" then punished for taking the image once it has been shared around - but the person spreading the image has not. Calls to ban 'nudifying apps' A government spokesperson told Sky News: "We are reviewing the relationships, sex and health curriculum to look at all modern-day challenges facing children, including that of deepfake porn, and work to ensure children are taught how to build positive, healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way." It comes amid mounting concern among MPs and experts , with many wanting the government to go further with its regulations on big tech firms. Read More: In April, a report by the Children's Commissioner for England found that nudifying apps are disproportionately targeting girls and young women, with many appearing to work only on female bodies. The commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, called for an immediate ban on apps that use AI to create naked images of children, saying "there is no positive reason for these to exist". Inquiry into the 'manosphere' Ms Bates appeared in front of the WEC as part of their inquiry into how the "manosphere" and other online content is fuelling misogyny. The cross-party group has previously heard how the rise of misogyny in young men in particular is not only affecting female pupils but also female staff, with sexual harassment towards teachers described as "rife". On Wednesday's session, the committee also heard concerns around the rise of the "sex tech industry", including robots and AI girlfriends, with fears this is having a wider impact on attitudes towards women and girls. Sarah Owen, the Labour chair of the WEC, told Sky News she could not pre-empt what recommendations would be made to the government. But she said there was huge concern around the online radicalisation of young men, adding: "It was a boiling hot room but my blood ran cold at what I was hearing."
Sky News
2 days ago
- Sky News
Sharing deepfake pornography 'the next sexual violence epidemic facing schools'
Sharing deepfake pornography is "the next sexual violence epidemic" facing schools, the author of a book on the spread of online misogyny has told MPs. Appearing before the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC), Laura Bates said there needs to be statutory guidance for teachers on how to deal with this "very significant issue". She said in every UK case she has investigated, schools have "paid thousands of pounds hiring PR firms to focus on damage reputation management". However, in terms of supporting girls and taking action against the perpetrators, "nothing has happened". She said of deepfake pornography: "It is happening, it's significant. Female teachers are affected, which often goes unnoticed, and schools are just not equipped to tackle it. "My suggestion would be this is the next big sexual violence epidemic facing schools and people don't even know it is going on." Deepfakes are pictures, videos or audio clips made with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to look or sound real. While it is illegal to create or share a sexually explicit image of a child, including a deepfake, the technology for making them remains legal. Asked what more could be done to help schools tackle the issue, Ms Bates said in the cases she is aware of "police investigations are ongoing" . However, she said she is not suggesting criminalisation of underage boys is the solution and what is needed is education, prevention and regulation. "It shouldn't be the case that a 12-year-old boy can easily and freely access tools to create these forms of content in the first place," she said. Ms Bates is the founder of the Everyday Sexism project and author of: The New Age of Sexism: How the AI Revolution is Reinventing Misogyny. She also called for "very clear guidance" on how schools should respond to this challenge. She warned of a repeat of failings that have happened previously with intimate image abuse, where girls have been "coerced into sending images of themselves" then punished for taking the image once it has been shared around - but the person spreading the image has not. Calls to ban 'nudifying apps' It comes amid mounting concern among MPs and experts about online safety for children, with many wanting the government to go further with its regulations on big tech firms. In April, a report by the Children's Commissioner for England found that nudifying apps are disproportionately targeting girls and young women, with many appearing to work only on female bodies. The commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, called for an immediate ban on apps that use AI to create naked images of children, saying "there is no positive reason for these to exist". Inquiry into the 'manosphere' Ms Bates appeared in front of the WEC as part of their inquiry into how the "manosphere" and other online content is fuelling misogyny. The inquiry has previously heard how the rise of misogyny in young men in particular is not only affecting female pupils but also female staff, with sexual harassment towards teachers described as "rife". On Wednesday's session, the committee also heard concerns around the rise of the "sex tech industry", including robots and AI girlfriends, with fears this is having a wider impact on attitudes towards women and girls. Sarah Owen, the chair of the cross-party group, told Sky News she could not pre-empt what recommendations would be made to the government. But she said there was huge concern around the online radicalisation of young men, adding: "It was a boiling hot day but my blood ran cold at what I was hearing."
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Paternity leave in UK is outdated and unequal, say MPs
The UK's statutory parental leave system is "one of the worst in the developed world" and has "fundamental flaws", a group of cross-party MPs has said.A report published today by the Women and Equalities Committee said paternity leave rules "entrench outdated gender stereotypes". It added that "bold" action is needed, but warned any changes would require significant investment.A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said the government is carrying out a review to see how it best can support working families. Introduced in 2003, statutory paternity leave allows most new fathers and second parents in the UK to take up to two weeks off applies to all partners, regardless of gender, after the birth, surrogacy or adoption of a eligible receive £187.18 a week or 90% of their average earnings, whichever is works out as less than 50% of the National Living Wage and fathers are ineligible for statutory paternity leave if they are self-employed or earn less than £123 a week. The report says this is "completely out of kilter with the cost of living" and suggests the government should consider increasing paternity pay to 90% or more and paternity leave to six weeks in a phased recommends both aspects should be done during this how paternity leave has not changed noticeably since its introduction more than two decades ago, the report says: "We now have one of the worst statutory leave offers for fathers and other parents in the developed world."In Spain, new dads can take 16 weeks off work at full rules introduced in France in 2021 mean working dads can now spend 28 days at home while being in Sweden are entitled to 480 days of paid parental leave, with 90 days reserved for fathers. As part of Your Voice, Your BBC News we are covering the stories that matter most to you and several dads have been in touch about paternity Yeates, from Haverhill, Suffolk, says it was "horrible" having to return to work just two weeks after his son, Luca, was born in September he says the birth of his son was "the happiest moment of my life", he soon felt as though he was leaving his partner "in the lurch"."There would be times when my partner was struggling and I'd have to leave to go to work," he said."I felt like I was letting her down and letting my son down."James works for the NHS, who topped up his statutory paternity pay to 100% of his usual salary, but feels as though he was prevented from being "a more present parent".The WEC report also looked at shared parental leave, which was introduced in 2014 and allows parents to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay after the birth or adoption of a the review found many families considered it "unnecessarily complex" and "burdensome".It is used in fewer than 2% of all births and a government review from 2023 suggests almost half (45%) of all dads were not even aware shared parental leave was an report has been released on the eve of the world's first dad of fathers are expected to picket outside the Department for Business and Trade in London on Wednesday to call for an overhaul of the UK's parental leave policies. New research by The Dad Shift and Shaun Davies MP suggests that just 3% of money spent on parental leave in the UK supports fathers and non-birthing provided by employers to HMRC shows that £3.3bn was spent on statutory maternity pay in 2023/ the same period, £69m was spent on paternity pay and £34.4m statutory shared parental Gabriel, co-founder of the Dad Shift, said paternity leave laws mean dads often have to go back to work before their two-week paternity leave ends."The pie is small and the crumbs left for dads and non-birthing parents are honestly pretty pitiful," he Jones, chief executive of the Fatherhood Institute, said she welcomed many of the findings of the report, but said "families shouldn't have to wait until the next Parliament for this to come in".The government said its forthcoming review, which is due before mid-July, would look at all current parental leave entitlements.A spokesperson added it is already in the process of ensuring dads no longer need to be employed for 26 weeks to be entitled to paternity leave."This government is committed to making sure parents receive the best possible support to balance their work and home lives," they said. Additional reporting from George Walker.
The Independent
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
UK has one of ‘worst statutory leave offers for fathers in developed world'
The UK has one of the 'worst statutory leave offers for fathers and other parents in the developed world', the chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Committee has warned. In a new report, the House of Commons committee said a maximum of two weeks' paternity leave is 'completely out of step with how most couples want to share their parenting responsibilities' and 'entrenches outdated gender stereotypes about caring'. The committee has urged the Government to either amend the Employment Rights Bill to legislate for a day one right to paid leave or commit to 'considering this vital change within its review' in consultation with employers. It has also called on the Government to consider raising paternity pay to the level of maternity pay in the first six weeks – 90% of average earnings. The paternity and shared parental leave report by the committee said working parents 'will be let down by a review that leads only to tinkering around the edges of the system'. Chairwoman of the Women and Equalities Committee Sarah Owen said the UK's parental leave system was in 'urgent need of an overhaul to fit with the reality of working parents' lives'. The Labour MP for Luton North said reform 'must start with longer and better paid paternity leave'. Ms Owen said: 'It's essential the Government's proposed review addresses the system's fundamental failings, including low statutory pay, inadequate leave periods for fathers and others, exclusion of many working parents and guardians, plus design flaws and unnecessary complexity in the Shared Parental Leave scheme. 'The UK's parental leave system has fallen far behind most comparable countries, and we now have one of the worst statutory leave offers for fathers and other parents in the developed world.' The Labour MP added: 'Ministers must commit to meaningful reforms in the medium-term, with a view to going further towards a more gender equal parental leave system. 'Tinkering around the edges of a broken system will let down working parents. While much-needed substantial change to our paid parental leave system will require considerable financial investment, this would be outweighed by wider societal and economic benefits.' The report states that the UK's rate of statutory parental pay is 'completely out of kilter with the cost of living, has not kept pace with inflation and is far below rates in most comparable countries'. It recommends phased introduction of increases to statutory pay across the system to bring rates for all working parents up to 80% or more of average earnings or the real Living Wage. The lack of provision for self-employed fathers is 'deeply unfair', the report adds. The committee recommends that the Government consider options for providing statutory paid leave for all self-employed working fathers as part of its review of the parental leave system, including introducing a paternity allowance for self-employed fathers and other parents, similar to maternity allowance. The report states that the shared parental leave system is 'extremely difficult for most parents and their employers to understand'. It said a forthcoming review must examine the function and necessity of eligibility rules, with a view to 'simplifying or removing the employment status, time in service and earnings criteria'. The committee said the review should examine approaches taken in overseas systems, including the German 'partnership bonus' and Portugal's 'sharing bonus', which provide additional paid leave to couples in which both parents take a substantial portion of leave while the other returns to paid work.
The Independent
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Committee calls on Government to ban NDAs to tackle misogyny in music industry
The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) has called on the Government to ban non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in the event of sexual misconduct, bullying, or discrimination in a bid to tackle misogyny in the music industry. A report by the WEC found 'misogyny remains deeply rooted in the music industry' and 'meaningful change requires both cultural and structural reform', as the committee also called for changes to the Equality Act and the Employment Rights Bill to ensure freelancers are fully protected. Speaking about her experience in the report, which was published on Wednesday, singer Celeste told the committee: 'What is most prevalent in the daily experience of being female in the music industry is this idea of an ingrained bias, or even an unconscious, sexist bias.' The WEC called for improved protections and reporting mechanisms, after finding that sexual harassment remains pervasive in the industry, with reporting rates low due to fear of retaliation, and added that women in music still faced unequal pay and ageism. It urged the Government to bring forward proposals to prohibit the use of NDAs and other forms of confidentiality agreements in cases involving sexual abuse, sexual harassment or sexual misconduct, bullying or harassment, and discrimination relating to a protected characteristic. The WEC said doing so would 'demonstrate decisive leadership and ensure that the silencing of victims of abuse will no longer be tolerated'. It also underlined the 'inadequacy' of legal protections for freelance musicians, saying the Equality Act did not 'clearly extend' to freelancers and those working under temporary conditions such as 'depping', which means substituting for another musician. The report also highlighted challenges faced by parents and carers in the music industry, saying freelancers in particular struggled with 'inadequate maternity support and the high cost of childcare'. The WEC called on the Government to amend the Employment Rights Bill to align maternity allowance with statutory maternity pay to allow self-employed women 'greater flexibility during maternity leave and remove unfairness within the system'. Chairwoman of the WEC and Labour MP Sarah Owen said: 'One year on from the Women and Equalities Committee's report on misogyny in music, significant issues within the industry remain unaddressed and appear to be on repeat. 'WEC's 2024 report warned women pursuing careers in music face endemic misogyny and discrimination in a sector dominated by self-employment. 'It laid bare a boys' club where sexual harassment and abuse is common, and the non-reporting of such incidents is high. 'The misuse of NDAs is a major concern. 'NDAs are frequently used to silence victims of harassment and abuse, often under coercive circumstances. 'The report presents evidence of the psychological toll these agreements take and the power imbalances that make them particularly harmful in the music industry. 'Women working in music feel rightly frustrated at the lack of support from the Government in tackling the challenges they face. 'Female artists should not encounter limitations in opportunity or have to work far harder to get the recognition their ability and talent merits. 'We urge ministers to accept the recommendations in our new report and help set the music industry on a path of lasting change free from discrimination and harassment.' The report also called on the Government to support the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority, a new independent body designed to address misconduct across the creative sectors, by 'providing it with the legal assurances it needs to undertake its crucial work'.
